Famous Flower of Manhattan
by idgivetheworld182
Summary: FutureFic. Quinn Fabray is now Mrs Hudson, and Rachel Berry is just a painful memory. For now.
1. Chapter 1

"Well, here we are", I hear to the left, slightly behind me. A car door slams shut and footsteps come closer. A large arms finds its place around my shoulder, and a kiss is planted to the side of my face. I stare at the giant house I found through the agency I work for. "Home sweet home." Finn steps forward, walking to the door with the keys in his hands. The movers haven't arrived yet. He turns and hold the keys out for me. "Wanna do the honours, Mrs Quinn Hudson?" It still sounds wrong, even after a two week long honey moon.

"Sure". I reach out for the keys but first, he grabs me and leans down to plant a wet, open mouthed kiss on my lips. I'm used to it now, routinely wiping my mouth with my hand after. I open the door and walk in, not holding it out for him. It's a grand hallway. I see marble floor through an archway that leads to the kitchen, and the banister on the stairs is oak. It's a wonderful house, but it isn't a home.

* * *

I somehow find myself in the auditorium, sitting at the piano. I hear the click of brogues enter and come closer.

"You're late." I meant to sound pissed, but I didn't mean to sound so vicious.

"We're friends, right?" Her voice floats across to me, and forces me to look up to the eyes I mostly try to avoid.

"Yeah, I guess so."

She looks as if she doesn't want to go on with this conversation.

"I mean, like everything happened last year. You gave your baby to my mom. We kind of bonded over it, right?"

"What's your point." I definitely didn't mean to sound so vicious. A poor choice of words, on my part.

"My point is…Is that I know we haven't spent a lot of time together this year, but I thought that we were close enough to be honest with each other."

She's going to ask about Finn, I just know it.

"Go ahead, ask me."

She looks down at her feet, and I feel my heart begin splitting in two. I need to say the right thing.

"Fine. Are you and Finn together?"

No. Not for real. Tell her the truth.

"Yes. It's been a couple of weeks. It's like Groundhog's Day with you, Rachel. How many times do you have to make the same mistake to realise it's not going to work out?"

Goddammit Quinn.

"Thank you for being honest with me, Quinn, and… And I'm happy for you and Finn, but don't go and try to rewrite history, okay?" Her heart is splitting in two as well, somehow I can feel it. "It was real between us. He chose me over you."

"And how long did that last for."

Why are you doing this Quinn? What the fuck are you doing?

"Why are you being so mean?"

Say sorry! For Gods sake Quinn say sorry! I stand up and walk straight to her, preparing my apology, readying my arms to hold her, but I feel myself being pulled backwards at the last moment, and my mouth opens again.

"Do you want to know how this story plays out? I get Finn, you get heartbroken,"

No, stop.

"…and then Finn and I stay here and start a family. I'll become a successful real estate agent, and Finn will take over Kurt's dad's tire shop."

My voice cracks, but I'm sure it's something else breaking.

"You don't belong here, Rachel, and you can't hate me for helping to send you on your way."

No. Not again. This has happened before, why can't I change it this time?

"No. I'm not giving up on Finn. It's not over between us."

What about me? Why can't it be me?

"Yes, it is! You're so frustrating, and that is why you can't write a good song…Because you live in this little schoolgirl fantasy of life. Rachel, if you keep looking for that happy ending, then you are never going to get it right. So we're done with that, and why don't we just return to our work, okay?"

I turn back to the piano. What the fuck is wrong with you Quinn? Why can't _you _get it right?

"No," she says from behind me. "I think I'm gonna write this song on my own."

Brogues click, and gradually disappear. I wake in a sweat, back in a strange bedroom. Finn stirs at my side.

"Nightmare?" he whispers sleepily. He rolls over and drops his arm around my waist, pulling me roughly into his body. He falls back asleep easily, while I lay silently, eyes wide. You helped send her on her way, don't regret it now Quinn.


	2. Chapter 2

I proved everyone wrong when they said I would miss high school. I knew I'd keep in touch with the Glee kids, but apart from that I left it all behind. I still see Holly, when she's around. Finn thinks it's a little strange, how connected me and her are, but he's got his friendship with Mr Schuester still, and it's pretty much the same, I reckon. He doesn't know what we really talk about when we meet. Finn owns the tire shop now, since Burt and Carole moved to Columbus. The only person from Glee Club who's still in Lima is Puck, and even he managed to scrape together a decent life, working in the tire shop with Finn full time, still cleaning pools when it's needed. Mercedes headed off to California, Sam followed the year after with a football scholarship. Kurt, who of course didn't get into NYADA, luckily had a back up school in Chicago and him and Blaine are still together. I have no idea what happened to Artie or Joe. Mike and Tina broke up during Tina's senior year, but I'm pretty sure they're on good terms. They seemed it at that God awful wedding I had not long ago. Rory couldn't get his Visa extended past his sophomore year, but he keeps in touch with Finn. Surprisingly, Sugar and Santana sparked up an admirable friendship, and the two of them plus Brittany share an apartment in Brooklyn. They were all at the wedding, with the exception of Artie and Joe of course. But not Rachel. Finn had wanted to invite her, and despite my protests, he got his way. But we received no RSVP, so we eventually had to rule out her attendance. At the wedding, I asked around, but no one had heard from her since senior year. I thought maybe Santana or Brittany had bumped into her in New York, but they hadn't seen her since they went to see a show of hers in 2014. She'd done what she always strived to do, get out of Lima, prove everyone wrong, and leave behind the people that tore her down.

There's only so many times you can regret something, before you naturally begin to move on. Those were Jane's words. I started seeing a therapist a year before the wedding. She was the on-campus councillor at Lima City Community College. She was helpful, after a while. At first it felt horrible, unnecessary, digging up all the old feelings I had stashed away over the years. Intense regret, hopelessness, worthlessness. How I'd let the only light in my life flicker out, to be replaced by him. Of course, no one knew she was my light, no one except Holly. She knew about it in high school, she found me crying in the auditorium after that day. I knew how much she had helped with Santana, so I broke down, let it all out. Jane sort of knows about it, but not the specifics. I fell in love with a _person, _in high school, and I let them slip away.

"Part of the process," Jane says, "is figuring out whether you want to get over them, or get them."

"Get over" I say instantly. Like she would ever want me after everything I'd done. Besides, what was I supposed to do? Divorce Finn, run to New York and try find her? She's probably got someone by now.

"Absolutely sure?" I don't think she believes me.

"99%, which is good enough for me. There isn't any point going after them. I don't even know where they are. They could be a completely different person."

She nods, and proceeds to outline various strategies for getting over a lost love, but I tune out completely.

I don't snap back to reality until I'm halfway home. I subconsciously drive past her parents home every day after work or therapy, but this time something is different. I don't completely clock on until I'm past the house, and at the bottom of the street. I drive around the block and reach the top of the road again and drive past, slowly. I wasn't dreaming. There was a yellow Volkswagen Beatle sitting in the driveway. _Rachels_ Beatle


End file.
